Andrea Wingrave, Registered Acupuncturist

Insomnia: Tips for a better sleep

Insomnia isn’t just the inability to fall asleep.

It can also mean you wake up too early and can’t fall back to sleep, you wake frequently in the night and/or you feel tired when you wake up. If you suffer from insomnia, you know that it can affect your quality of life. You may frequently feel tired and irritable, you may have trouble concentrating and your memory might be affected as well.

Stress, emotional upset, physical discomfort, schedule disruption, environmental factors, medications, consumption of alcohol/nicotine/caffeine and medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism are all things that can cause insomnia.

As an acupuncturist, I frequently treat people with insomnia. I find a few lifestyle adjustments made in conjunction to treatment, make all the difference. Here are the suggestions I make to anyone I see who suffers from insomnia.

Sleep Environment

Keep your bedroom dark and cool

Use your bed for only sleep and sex

No work desks/computers or exercise equipment in the bedroom

No television in the bedroom

Keep the clock out of view

Use earplugs and a sleep mask if you can’t make it quiet or dark

Keep a note book beside your bed to record any concerns that might crop up when you are trying to go to sleep

Routine

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day – even weekends

The hours before midnight are most important – aim to be in bed by 9:30 and asleep by 10

Wind down before bed by reading a book (no screens) or listening to calm music

Avoid naps, but if you must, have them before noon

Drink your days’ water between breakfast and supper, don’t drink much after 7

Don’t go to bed hungry or too full. Have a light snack between supper and bedtime, but
don’t try to sleep after a large meal

Exercise

Exercise is very important for a good night’s sleep. Aim to do it early in the day

Walking briskly outside for 30 minutes per day is ideal. Getting sun in your eyes and on
your skin is excellent for hormone and circadian rhythm balance

Intense exercise can be stimulating, and if done later in the day, it may disrupt your sleep.! !

Stimulants

If you are suffering from insomnia, acupuncture might help. An acupuncture treatment can include cupping, plum blossom needling and/or auricular stimulation using needles or ear seeds. Acupuncture works by regulating the Qi and Blood flow through your meridians. It can help stimulate the body’s own healing ability by regulating hormone levels in the body and the brain.